Nerds: Once a tormented subrace of humans... Now captains of industry! You don’t have to be a stereotypical geekwad to appreciate the tenets of Nerdism and to make your innate talents for overanalysis and hyper-self-awareness work for you instead of against you. Join Nerd superstar Chris Hardwick as he offers his fellow “creative-obsessives” the crucial information needed to come out on top in the current Nerd uprising. Success is the most satisfying - and legal - form of vengeance there is. And you can achieve it when you follow the Nerdist Way,

The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company

The Pixar Touch is a lively chronicle of Pixar Animation Studios' history and evolution, and the "fraternity of geeks" who shaped it. With the help of visionary businessman Steve Jobs and animating genius John Lasseter, Pixar has become the gold standard of animated filmmaking, beginning with a short special effects shot made at Lucasfilm in 1982 all the way up through the landmark films Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and others.

Unstuff Your Life: Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good

Arguably the most organized man in America, Andrew J. Mellen has created unique, lasting techniques for streamlined living, bringing order out of chaos for a client list that includes attorneys, filmmakers, and even psychologists. With Unstuff Your Life! he puts his powerful program in the hands of his widest audience yet.

You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself

An entertaining illumination of the stupid beliefs that make us feel wise. You believe you are a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is, but journalist David McRaney is here to tell you that you're as deluded as the rest of us. But that's OK - delusions keep us sane. You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self-delusion. It's like a psychology class, with all the boring parts taken out, and with no homework. Based on the popular blog of the same name, You Are Not So Smart collects more than 46 of the lies we tell ourselves everyday.

Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.

Tough Sh-t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good

Take one look at Kevin Smith: He's a balding fatty who wears a size XXL hockey jersey, shorts, and slippers year-round. Not a likely source for life advice. But take a second look at Kevin Smith: He changed filmmaking forever when he was twenty-four with the release of Clerks, and since then has gone on to make nine more profitable movies, runs his own production company, wrote a best-selling graphic novel, and has a beautiful wife and kids. So he must be doing something right.

Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone

You’ve got a business colleague who’s hostile...a client who’s furious...a staffer who’s deeply cynical—how do you get people to do what you want in tough situations like these? In Just Listen, veteran psychiatrist and business coach Mark Goulston reveals the secret to how to get through to anyone, even when productive communication seems impossible.“Here's the challenge,” Mark says.

13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time

Science starts to get interesting when things don't make sense. Science's best-kept secret is that there are experimental results and reliable data that the most brilliant scientists can neither explain nor dismiss. If history is any precedent, we should look to today's inexplicable results to forecast the future of science. Michael Brooks heads to the scientific frontier to meet 13 modern-day anomalies and discover tomorrow's breakthroughs.

Influencer: The Power to Change Anything

Everyone wants to be an influencer. We all want to learn how to help ourselves and others change behavior. And yet, in spite of the fact that we routinely attempt to do everything from lose weight to improve quality at work, few of us have more than one or two ideas about how to exert influence. For the first time, Influencer brings together the breakthrough strategies of contemporary influence masters.

Losing your memory? Can't focus or concentrate? Do you have brain fog or tire easily? Have you lost your zest for life or motivation? Do people tell you this is all a normal part of aging? If so, your brain may be growing old too fast, or degenerating. Modern diets, a stressful lifestyle, and environmental toxins all take their toll on the brain. This doesn't just happen to seniors - brain disorders and degeneration are on the rise for young and old alike. The good news is the brain is extremely adaptable and wants to get well.

You used to need a big ad budget to get your message across. Not anymore! Thanks primarily to the Internet, a world of free and inexpensive tactics exists for spreading the word about your business. Free Marketing delivers more than one hundred marketing ideas to help small business owners and marketers generate new revenue—with little or no marketing budget.

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.

The TenX Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

Extreme success, by definition, lies beyond the realm of normal action. If you want to achieve extreme success, you can’t operate like everybody else and settle for mediocrity. You need to remove luck and chance from your business equation, and lock in massive success. The 10X Rule shows you how!

The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism

What are the arguments for and against religion and religious belief - all of them - right across the range of reasons and motives that people have for being religious, and do they stand up to scrutiny? Can there be a clear, full statement of these arguments that once and for all will show what is at stake in this debate? Equally important: what is the alternative to religion as a view of the world and a foundation for morality?

The 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life One Luscious Bite at a Time

After more than 5 years of intensive work the definitive guide to the 80/10/10 Diet is here! Get your hands on the latest audiobook by Dr. Douglas Graham, The 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life One Luscious Bite at a Time. If you have struggled with staying raw, would like to lose weight, or change your life for the better, look no further than this groundbreaking audiobook.

Automate This: How Algorithms Came to Rule Our World

It used to be that to diagnose an illness, interpret legal documents, analyze foreign policy, or write a newspaper article you needed a human being with specific skills - and maybe an advanced degree or two. These days, high-level tasks are increasingly being handled by algorithms that can do precise work not only with speed but also with nuance. These "bots" started with human programming and logic, but now their reach extends beyond what their creators ever expected.

The Education of a Value Investor: My Transformative Quest for Wealth, Wisdom and Enlightenment

What happens when a young Wall Street investment banker spends a small fortune to have lunch with Warren Buffett? He becomes a real value investor. In this fascinating inside story, Guy Spier details his career from Harvard MBA to hedge fund manager. But the path was not so straightforward. Spier reveals his transformation from a Gordon Gekko wannabe, driven by greed, to a sophisticated investor who enjoys success without selling his soul to the highest bidder.

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry

The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey through the minds of madness. Jon Ronson's exploration of a potential hoax being played on the world's top neurologists takes him, unexpectedly, into the heart of the madness industry. An influential psychologist who is convinced that many important CEOs and politicians are, in fact, psychopaths teaches Ronson how to spot these high-flying individuals by looking out for little telltale verbal and nonverbal clues.

The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Ranchers Are Tending the Soil to Reverse Global Warming

In The Soil Will Save Us, journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for "our great green hope"—a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon—and potentially reverse global warming. Her discoveries and vivid storytelling will revolutionize the way we think about our food, our landscapes, our plants, and our relationship to Earth.

Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why

Coming out as an atheist is a powerful, liberating act. It makes life better for you, for other atheists, and for the world. But telling people you're an atheist can be risky. What are the best ways to do it? And how can we help each other take this step? In this compassionate, friendly, down-to-earth how-to guide, popular author of Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless and blogger Greta Christina, offers concrete strategies and guiding philosophies for coming out as an atheist.

Your toddler throws a tantrum in the middle of a store. Your preschooler refuses to get dressed. Your fifth-grader sulks on the bench instead of playing on the field. Do children conspire to make their parents’ lives endlessly challenging? No - it’s just their developing brain calling the shots! In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the best-selling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson demystify the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures.

Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes

A preeminent geneticist hunts the Neanderthal genome to answer the biggest question of them all: what does it mean to be human? What can we learn from the genes of our closest evolutionary relatives? Neanderthal Man tells the story of geneticist Svante Pbo’s mission to answer that question, beginning with the study of DNA in Egyptian mummies in the early 1980s and culminating in his sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2009.

Dish up the red meat, eggs, and whole milk! In this well-researched and captivating narrative, veteran food writer Nina Teicholz proves how everything we've been told about fat is wrong. For decades, Americans have cut back on red meat and dairy products full of "bad" saturated fats. We obediently complied with nutritional guidelines to eat "heart healthy" fats found in olive oil, fish, and nuts, and followed a Mediterranean diet heavy on fruits, vegetables, and grains. Yet the nation's health has declined. What is going on?

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

In The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring - specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neuro feedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies.

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir

In the tradition of #Girlboss and Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - a funny, quirky, and inspiring memoir from online entertainment mogul, actress, and "queen of the geeks" Felicia Day about her unusual upbringing, her rise to Internet stardom, and embracing her individuality to find success in Hollywood.

Publisher's Summary

Nerds: Once a tormented subrace of humans... Now captains of industry! You don’t have to be a stereotypical geekwad to appreciate the tenets of Nerdism and to make your innate talents for overanalysis and hyper-self-awareness work for you instead of against you. Join Nerd superstar Chris Hardwick as he offers his fellow “creative-obsessives” the crucial information needed to come out on top in the current Nerd uprising.

Nerds subsist on the minutiae of their chosen passions. As a lifelong member of “The Nerd Herd,” as he calls it, Chris Hardwick has learned all there is to know about Nerds. He’s studied them, lived with them, and has endeavored to milk their knowledge nectar and isolate its curative powers for what ails you. Thus, he has founded a philosophical system (and blog) called The Nerdist, and here he shares his hard-earned wisdom about turning seeming weaknesses into world-dominating strengths. From keeping your heart rate below hummingbird levels to managing the avalanche of sadness that is your inbox, from ignoring your brain to attracting wealth by turning down work, Hardwick reveals the secrets that can help you accomplish what you want by tapping into your true nerdtastic self. The Nerdist Way shows how to focus your mind, body, and time into an unstoppable laser of goodness. Don’t wait for another social tragedy. Don’t resort to cheap “mass murder” tactics to exact your revenge on society. Success is the most satisfying - and legal - form of vengeance there is. And you can achieve it when you follow the Nerdist Way.

This is a great book, IF you know what you are getting. For realsies. If you don't know a tardis from a taunton, can't tell Louis CK from Patten Oswalt, have never rolled a 20 sided die in an RPG, or leveled up in World of Warcraft, this book might not be for you. But for a particular group of tech and pop culture savvy nerds (generally male), looking for help in the grown up world, this is the book that will try to show the way.

Chris uses his personal struggles, a gigabyte of humor and a gazillion pop culture references to illustrate how the time honored keys to success can be reframed for the hyper-connected who are used to instant gratification online. Goal setting and decision making hasn't changed much over the centuries, but if you look at time management from the perspective of an Evil Genius for example, it may resonate enough to make it a do-able IRL. You are your character in a giant LARP. Here you just need to you identify your abilities and start racking up experience pointsm to get to the next level.

Chris narrates the book, and at warp speed, it might be difficult to catch all the references. Movie and comic book characters abound and shout outs to Ben Franklin, Charlie Rose, Oprah, Stephen Frye, the Kardashians, among many others, pepper the story. Everything from bits of the Lincoln-Douglas debate, to solipsism, to chess, make an appearance, as Chris shares how he overcame panic attacks, a back injury, a serious dependance on alcohol, a crappy credit rating and bad Asian chicken salds, in a way that says, you can absolutely do this too.

I can't imagine "reading" this book. The audio is the way to go, since it's so much like a comedy routine. There are links provided to items which must be diagrams in the book. And those circling the OCD island will certainly find them helpful. I don't see how this book can possibly have a long shelf like. Two years from now, it may be totally incomprehensible. But for the target audience, two years from now is another universe. It's about the now, and in more ways than one.

The Nerdist Way is profane, and not always PC. But it is Chris Hardwick at his best. A pink pill of happy. He's not paying me, but maybe he should.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Nerdist Way to be better than the print version?

I purchased both the book, and the audio (I was told it was better as an audiobook). After going through, I do highly recommend the audiobook. Chris Hardwick's humor can be picked up through text, but not at the same level as through audio.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Nerdist Way?

For me, it was an assignment to think of some things you fear and to shed light on some problems in your life that are holding you back in life. Once those fears/problem in thinking are broken down and examined, they become powerless.

What does Chris Hardwick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Hardwick's humor cannot be delivered as strongly through text. It's about delivery, and as a comic, he knows how to do it well!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

One of the assignments was to write down something you're afraid of. I drew out a scenario of a worst-case scenario (which included negative self talk by myself, and what I thought others would say if I was teaching a group exercise class)

I then drew a better image, where the self talk was positive, and all the comments from the participants were positive. After looking at it, the second image looked more realistic, and helped me to realize how I need to change my thinking in more areas of my life.

Any additional comments?

If you read this, go download it! It's filled with great exercises, and delivered in a way that won't put you to sleep like some of the other self help books out there!

I was concerned about this book because my husband read it first. My husband was wanting more comedy and not a self-help book. So, I had that in the back of my mind when I started to read this book. I actually really enjoyed the book. I could relate to it in more ways than I expected. There are lots of ways that I will apply this book to my everyday life.

Chris Hardwick narrated this book. I can't imagine anyone else doing it justice. However, at times he talks very fast and I am afraid of missing something. On the flip side, his comedy comes through and makes the audible version better than what I think the print version would be.

Where does The Nerdist Way rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Other than the Harry Potter series as read by Jim Dale, this is my favorite audiobook! Hardwick has such a dynamic storytelling voice, it felt like a conversation. He offers a perfect balance of humor, personal anecdotes, challenging truths and encouragement to the reader.

What did you like best about this story?

I like that Chris was vulnerable at times, telling the truth about his story. It's what gives me so much hope. He was so relatable, and made me feel like there was hope for me to turn my life around, too. I love that he doesn't just tell the reader what to do, he explains what worked for him and why. But he is also a cheerleader, and I couldn't help but believe he really was on my side as I listened.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't know about "scene", but the book is separated into 3 sections, and the 1st section was the most striking for me. There's a lot of good stuff to be found in the 2nd and 3rd sections as well, but the first section was amazing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book literally saved my life, so yes, I had an extreme reaction to it. I was in the process of planning when and how to end my life when someone told me about this book. I downloaded it immediately and stayed up all night listening to it. That night I decided that I wanted to live, and if I was going to live that I needed to let go of suicide as a viable option for me once and for all. (So when I say it "literally" changed my life, I mean it.)

I have been exposed to psychology all my life, both personally and professionally, as it was my chosen field of study. This book took the best of all of that and presented it in a way that was accessible and relatable. It felt like it was written just for me, using my humor and my language. It was motivating and it gave me hope.

The book made me laugh AND cry. I've listened to it several times and I really love it. It has so much great stuff in it!

Any additional comments?

I found myself taking so many notes that I broke down and ordered a hard copy before I even finished the audiobook that first night. Of course, 3-5 days shipping seemed like an eternity to me at the time, so I *also* ordered a copy for my Nook the same day. I have benefitted so much from this book that I also ordered a hard copy for my therapist!

Shortly after this book came into my life I found that Hardwick was scheduled to do standup in SLC, which is about 9 hours from me. I planned a trip and drove out to see him. He didn't do a meet and greet that night, but I took a chance and sent him a Tweet letting him know how far I had traveled to meet him. He DM'ed me back and invited me to the green room to meet him after the show. He was so gracious and sweet, signing my book and my Character Tome, snapping a few selfies with me and giving me a few hugs. I got to tell him that he saved my life, which genuinely seemed to touch him, and give him a small gift I made for him. I'm a big fan of his, and I really believe that he's a genuinely nice guy. This book is full of his personality and has a lot of balanced, encouraging information!

Chris Hardwick is an amazing comedian and awesome speaker, all throughout the book he keeps a "hey buddy" relationship with the reader and this is probably the only reason I finished the book. However I found the content of the book to be very lacking. The book is divided into three sections, each representing an aspect of life that you must perfect to achieve happiness. The only section of this book that was even worth listening to was the first. He lays out a very good, creative, and fun model to help you better yourself, the character tomb, however never really comes back to it. Where as the majority of the first section talks about things to add to this tomb, exercises, and makes it sound like this is going to be your clean cut method for improving yourself, the later sections barely even mention it.

Although there are a few good nuggets in here they are buried under loads of advice we have already heard time and time again, usually I can deal with this as the best advice is advice all self help guru's give, however unlike other gurus he didn't elaborate, or even put his own spin on most of them. I would advise those of you looking for good self help books to pick up How To Live In 24 Hours, or any of Carnagie's work, also The Secret and The Road to Babylon. All of these books take specific ideas Chris mentioned, and really put them into the spotlight allowing you to get the full use.

It may seem confusing that I give the story 4 stars, the performance 4 stars, but the overall only 3. Here's why: I think this is a fun, useful and well written and performed book, but I think it is better as a physical book than audiobook.

I pre-ordered the hard copy after Hardwick announced it on his podcast, and then promptly forgot. Then, months later, I saw his reminder about his new book on Twitter and since I only ever get time to digest books through audiobooks, I came here to see if it was available. I listened to the first couple of chapters very happily and Chris, as usual, is very funny and delivers his material as only he could, so I was very glad that he read it himself.

Part 1 of this self-help book, which is about the mind, has a lot of narrative and works very well as an audiobook. I related very well to the experiences he relates about anxiety and self-confidence and he made me laugh so much. There are exercises to do, but they are thought exercises that at most, I would pause the playback for a minute to think about before resuming the book. There is also a suggestion for a "character tome" which I will do, and am glad to have the physical book to refer to for the structure of it.

However, Part 2, about the body, includes his story of how he got to where he is in his caring for his physical self, and many conversations with/information from his personal trainer. It is very inspiring. But a large part is composed of bullet lists of exercises and motivational points. These are very useful for actual reading and referencing, but not very interesting to listen to.

Part 3, Time, focuses on ways to use technology to better manage your time to meet your goals and how to get your finances in control. Obviously, I can use some organizational skills, and was pleasantly surprised to see the stigmatizing issue of bad credit in here as well, and Hardwick has a lot of great suggestions. But listening to them in the car and not being able to right away try them out was less useful. For that reason I was very glad that I had the physical version at home that I could reference Parts 2 and 3.

Maybe it's just because I listen to Hardwick's podcast that I had no problems with hearing his voice in the text, but I really think it's because he wrote it in a way that his humor is obvious and, in some ways, better in written form than spoken aloud. So if you are worried that reading it will feel more bland than listening to him, I don't think it's an issue for this particular book.

So please, buy this book! I really do recommend it and in fact will be buying more hard copy versions for friends as gifts. And if you don't mind buying both versions then by all means, do! #Moneybags #HashtaggingOutsideOfTwitter

I was hoping for a little motivational geekiness but after the first few chapters, Hardwick has gotten fixated on exercise. I wish I had the book so I could just skip all the crap. The book also has worksheets and things to facilitate implementing his basic idea (which is compelling if you are a D&D geek).

Very recognizable for nerds and it is so funny! I really enjoyed listening to Chris Hardwick (the fact that the author himself speaks is a big bonus too). The book consists of three parts: one about the mind, one about the body, and one about organizing your time and stuff. The way he explained about how the mind works (specifically, the nerd mind) was an eye-opener. Good tips for organizing your life too, in the third part of the book. But all the exersizes in the "Body" part of the book didn't come to life in audio form. Fortunately, I liked this audiobook so much that I bought the paperback version to take fully advantage of the fitness exersizes in the book.

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